...Michael Bay would win Best Director, Best Producer (along with the rest of Platinum Dunes) and recieve the Lifetime Achievement Award every year....there would be a ten-minute montage declaring Pixar gay....the schedule would go, "trailer for a movie not being released for four-to-seven months," "trailer for a movie not being released for eight-to-eleven months," award, repeat....there would be a montage dedicated to gratuitous female nudity....there would be a montage depicting ways The Matrix is better than anything Bruce Lee has done....there would be a point in the show where a no-real-meaning award is given to either Martin Scorcese, Peter Jackson or Steven Speilburg in order to please, "those damn casual moviegoers."...the musical acts would be obnoxious pop-rock.

Take your pick. The VGAs are a horrible, pandering insult to fans of video games, I'm glad we can all agree on that. Anyone who likes the VGAs, please turn in your Nintendo Fun Club cards and leave through the back door. I REFUSE TO CALL IT CLUB NINTENDO.

Also, Charlie Sheen? CHARLIE SHEEN!? Come on, at least make an attempt to keep it within the games industry. They could have brought in Vin Diesel, what with his roles in Wheelman and the Riddick series, and still appealed to both their Spike/Gamer demographic and the rest of the gamer demographic.

Yeah, but Vin is actually a gamer and could have lent some credibility (to the moment at least) by actually knowing what he was talking about. The second he started making sense they would cut him off by having Nathan Drake fall in from the ceiling and start a horribly choreographed fight sequence with a dozen black and Asian stunt performers.

did... did something like that actually happen?!

Korten12:You know... As much as I don't like the VGA's or more like I have no real peference. People say: "I am just glad CoD didn't game of the year," in a tone that suggests that it has before...

Felicia Day was in it for a paycheck. I don't get all the mad in here. Yeah, the VGAs were an insult, but she wasn't "mistreated", they didn't hold her at gunpoint, she did what she had to to earn money. If you're going to be angry about that, aim that heat her way for selling out.

The VGAs themselves are a joke, and evidently the industry and it's true supporters (ie the gamers) are the punchline. I'm amazed it's gone on this long.

Also, Charlie Sheen? CHARLIE SHEEN!? Come on, at least make an attempt to keep it within the games industry. They could have brought in Vin Diesel, what with his roles in Wheelman and the Riddick series, and still appealed to both their Spike/Gamer demographic and the rest of the gamer demographic.

Yeah, but Vin is actually a gamer and could have lent some credibility (to the moment at least) by actually knowing what he was talking about. The second he started making sense they would cut him off by having Nathan Drake fall in from the ceiling and start a horribly choreographed fight sequence with a dozen black and Asian stunt performers.

did... did something like that actually happen?!

Korten12:You know... As much as I don't like the VGA's or more like I have no real peference. People say: "I am just glad CoD didn't game of the year," in a tone that suggests that it has before...

Also, Charlie Sheen? CHARLIE SHEEN!? Come on, at least make an attempt to keep it within the games industry. They could have brought in Vin Diesel, what with his roles in Wheelman and the Riddick series, and still appealed to both their Spike/Gamer demographic and the rest of the gamer demographic.

Yeah, but Vin is actually a gamer and could have lent some credibility (to the moment at least) by actually knowing what he was talking about. The second he started making sense they would cut him off by having Nathan Drake fall in from the ceiling and start a horribly choreographed fight sequence with a dozen black and Asian stunt performers.

did... did something like that actually happen?!

Korten12:You know... As much as I don't like the VGA's or more like I have no real peference. People say: "I am just glad CoD didn't game of the year," in a tone that suggests that it has before...

So stop trying to act like it has i na way to insult it, hell MW3 wasn't even nominated this year.

Also the fact that you said: Another Call of Duty map pack seriously lost some respect there. Following the bandwagon I see.

I am of the same opinion. How would you go about convincing me otherwise?

How does Bob's opinion loose some credibility simply because it's the more popular one? isn't that just an equally ridiculous inversion of that old "tryanny of the majority" fallacy?

I mean, "following the bandwagon". Right. his opinion is shared by many, is what that means. That has precisely shag-all to do with whether or not it's valid or respectable.

I like Bob's show's but sometimes he acts like he is just there to spout what others say. Indie Games, Modern Gamers (ones who play CoD for example) are idiots, that Modern Shooters are stupid... Everything you hear hundreds of hundreds of hipsters say.

It's fine if he feels that way, but he presented itself in away that seems like he was trying to be an ass about it and that he was somehow being "clever."

But like I also said, he made it as if CoD has won GoTY at the VGA's many times when it has not. It's like insulting something for something it hasn't done.

Speaking of Felicia Day, after you mentioned Nathan Fillion a few epsodes ago, i was thinking they maybe you should do an epsode braking down the different nerd web clebs, ex: Day, Fillion, Jonathan Colton, Wil Weaton, Chris Hardwick(although that one might be streaching it). Maybe even go on a joke rant about Yahtzee, just for giggles.

DVS BSTrD:If the Oscars were the VGAs...Avatar would have won best picture

You sir deserve all the internets for beating incredible odds and creating an extremely funny (and true) comment. *tips hat*

OT: I personally though the awards themselves were given to the games that deserved them. Portal 2 got best multiplayer and best DLC and Skyrim got GOTY. What's not to like Bob? Didn't they give Super Mario 3D Land "best handheld game" and Skyward Sword two awards of its own?

I didn't either. That's just what Bob said, and the mere concept enrages me to the nth degree.

Yeeeaaaahhhh..... I didn't watch it either (four for four).But I highly doubt whatever they did would shock me, because a) I have a heart made of adamantium, and b) my only exposure to Felicia Day is her voice role as Veronica in Fallout New Vegas.

Lono Shrugged:You're right Bob we should all put aside our differences and accept that different people have different tastes but we can all share what we enjoy and find a common ground instead of pandering to a thankless demographic. And you're right, movies and video games represent 2 totally different artforms and schools of practice. I mean even though we might not like call of duty or transformers, millions of people do and thats cool because who are we to judge them? I mean we spent OUR whole lives being judged negativly for liking our nerdy shit so why can't we set an example instead of purpetuating the same tired old shit that we grew up with in school.

jecht35:Wow people really hate nintendo to put Miyamoto and Bob down. Bob's whole argument wasen't even nintendo based. Granted Miyamoto isn't the only person to have an effect on the gameing industry. But Miyamoto had a bigger more wide spread infulence,that will spand for all time...nuff said

Yes, the constant criticism Bob gets for being a Nintendo is both tiring and sad. But then again, this is the Escapist

Sad thing is, I can point you to some idiotic little parasites on YouTube that actually take the VGAs to be a serious thing when evaluating the games industry.

Damnit, I look at stuff like this sometimes and it makes me feel dead inside. When did we get devolve so much as a society that "live action tea-bagging" was considered comedy? Let alone, entertainment?

I love you. I love your reviews. I love Big Picture videos. I love you articles.

But in this video, you looked a bit silly. Almost everything you said here, from the jokes to the facts to the comparisons stunk of a person who is fed up with certain mainstream things, he will not give the time of day to something that is a) Popular in the mainstream or b) At least 10 years old.

You did raise some good points in this video, but you are still starting to look like a bit of an "indie snob" for lack of a better term.

I like the fact they had a few more people who actually know what they are doing (Chuck, Felicia Day) however the entire thing was a wee bit... childish?

They didn't have Felicia Day on long enough for people to do anything but go "look, attractive girl!" though, so I doubt thoughts were along the "these people understand games" line.Not that she isn't attractive, it's just if you fill something with people who know nothing, make use of the people who know something.

If the Oscars were the VGAs...The Transformers trilogy would be considered the greatest film series of the new millennium, would win a record number of awards, Michael Bay would win a Lifetime Achievement award, and I would die a little inside.

Kinda wish there was a more professional awards show for games that wasn't on Spike TV. The only channel I would see that happening on would be G4...circa five years ago when I had any respect for G4. Seriously, what happened to you G4? You used to be cool.

It's been a few years since I stopped watching it (and TV in general; though I have started watching the Hub lately), but when I left G4 had one, maybe two shows that were actually about video games. Everything else was syndicated trash like COPS and Cheaters, and old nerd movies that admittedly were good but not what I signed up for.

People who still watch G4, has it gotten better? Or has it gotten even worse?

Oh I am so sorry that you liked it better when video games shunned by the rest of the world as childs toys, and had no media representation whatsoever. I get not liking all the advertisements running during the awards ceremony, but think of it this way. The Dark Knight and Inception didn't win best picture at the oscars, but Skyrim beat out Gears of War 3, BattleField 3 and Modern Warfare 3 to take game of the year at the VGAs. And how dare you deem anyone other then Gabe Newell as the Leonardo Da Vinci of video games. /endrant.

Trishbot:Sorry, but I'm a game designer myself, and my entire studio 100% views Shigeru Miyamoto as a "game god" and the Da Vinci of gaming.

You know what's a timeless masterpiece, something revered for its perfect use of form and function, a finely-tuned artistic endeavor created on a canvas without equal? It is seen by millions and is recognized instantly, admired by both children and sage adults; it has transcended time and weathered changing interests to endure as an eternal testament to creativity. It has been seen in museums and been the focus of documentaries. It has inspired legions of followers and produced artisans aspiring to its merits. It has been imitated, but never surpassed. Every year, a new generation of people experience it for the first time and respect it for its beauty, influence, and skill.

I'm not talking about the Mona Lisa. I'm talking about SUPER MARIO BROS.

I'm quite upset you would diminish the accomplishments of Shigeru Miyamoto. Now, granted, I am not saying he is the ONLY creator we should respect, but just like Michelangelo, Frank Lloyd Wright, Monet, and Alphonse Mucha, Da Vinci rose above his peers to a level of cultural influence beyond all others.

I have great respect for Shinji Mikami, Will Wright, Sid Meier, Gabe Newell, Cliff Blizinski, John Romero, Suda51, Hideo Kojima, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Richard Garriott, Ed Boon, Michel Ancel, Jordan Mechner, and so many others... but none of them, not a single one, can boast a resume as robust, diverse, or as universally beloved as Shigeru Miyamoto's.

From the influence of the platformers Mario and Donkey Kong to the puzzle-adventure Zelda to the mythological Kid Icarus to the garden strategy of Pikmin to the space shooter Star Fox to the lightning fast racer F-Zero to the RPGs of Super Mario RPG and Golden Sun to social games such as Mario Party and Animal Crossing to sports games ranging from Mario Tennis to boxing-classic Punch-Out!!

And those were just the games. His influence on system features, ranging from motion controls to rumble to wireless controls to dual screens to system connectivity to even the ability to save progress in a game (and eliminate passwords) changed the entire face of the industry for everyone.

There are plenty of other great creators out there who make phenomenal and original games that I love dearly... but only ONE man has so thoroughly and pervasively released so many timeless, beloved classics with such a wide range of diversity and with such a widespread, deeply felt influence on the entire landscape of game development.

And I'm proud to be in the industry he helped pave the way for.

When people like you praise Miyamoto to the high heavens and give him credit for games he had nothing to do with as if he is responsible for practically everything good Nintendo has done, you insult other developers, make yourself look like a slavering fanboy, and diminish Miyamoto's reputation far more than anything I have said.

For example, Miyamoto is not responsible for Kid Icarus - that came from Gunpei Yokoi's team.He did not give us Golden Sun - that was the folks at Camelot Software Planning, who also made Mario Tennis and the Mario Golf games.Animal Crossing was produced by Miyamoto's protege Takashi Tezuka, not Miyamoto himself.He did not make Punch-Out!! - that was Genyo Takeda's baby. Takeda was also responsible for designing the battery back-up system that was added to the US and European versions of The Legend of Zelda (the Japanese original was a Famicom Disk System game - it saved directly onto the game disk).

If you consider Miyamoto a "game god" you are buying into a mythology, not a person, and you are putting the man on a pedestal far higher than the one he deserves. Taking (extremely mild) criticism of Miyamoto personally merely shows how disproportionate you admiration and love for the man is.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, Green Lantern would win best Superhero movie because the bright colors of Thor and the straight-faced unironic approach of Captain America would be considered "Gay."

If the Oscars were the VGAs, The remake of The Thing would be considered the best horror movie of the year because of all of the icky icky blood and gore... and nothing else.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, The Twilight movies would be inducted into the hall of fame on the sole merit that they were popular and made money.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, the original cast from Mystery Science Theater 3000 would be brought on stage for an award in cinematic comedy, then immediately get rushed off stage so the creators of the last two titles in the Scary Movie franchise to reveal the trailer for their next film, "The Real Expendable Killer Steel Elite" which is a hilarious spoof full of pop culture references full of non-actors that makes fun of Real Steel, Killer Elite, and The Expendables. The Trailer by the way is just a picture some guy with his butt exposed shooting a grenade launcher at a robot through various filters with camera shake while a loud fart sound effect echoes through it.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, the Mortal Kombat movie reboot will be considered the first great video game movie because it was gutted entirely of any and all trappings of its source material except for the basic basic setting of a fighting tournament, and as such the Director will be given an Oscar.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, all of the horror movie remakes done by Platinum Dunes will be considered naturally superior to the originals simply because they are now modernized and therefore ready to be resold, and will be given honorable mentions.

If the Oscars were the VGAs, the indie movie, Troll Hunter will given a ten second spot as best indie movie, then get shoved off stage for a montage of clips of Michael Bay's next Transformers Movie, now with offensive Mexican robot cars that turn into pick-up trucks.

Alright, that's all I got. Also, for the Record, Miyamoto may be a bit exaggerated by fans, but his contribution to gaming as we know it really is pretty effing big. Of course the naysayers do have a point, what with Japanese game development being one of tightly comprised committee, but to say the guy just had his name added to the title after all the "real" work was done is just stupid. Miyamoto deserved more ceremony than what he got, and he should be as respected as Gabe Newell, Warren Spector, and Tim Schafer in the very absolute least. Great episode, Bob, keep them up.

When people like you praise Miyamoto to the high heavens and give him credit for games he had nothing to do with as if he is responsible for practically everything good Nintendo has done, you insult other developers, make yourself look like a slavering fanboy, and diminish Miyamoto's reputation far more than anything I have said.

For example, Miyamoto is not responsible for Kid Icarus - that came from Gunpei Yokoi's team.He did not give us Golden Sun - that was the folks at Camelot Software Planning, who also made Mario Tennis and the Mario Golf games.Animal Crossing was produced by Miyamoto's protege Takashi Tezuka, not Miyamoto himself.He did not make Punch-Out!! - that was Genyo Takeda's baby. Takeda was also responsible for designing the battery back-up system that was added to the US and European versions of The Legend of Zelda (the Japanese original was a Famicom Disk System game - it saved directly onto the game disk).

If you consider Miyamoto a "game god" you are buying into a mythology, not a person, and you are putting the man on a pedestal far higher than the one he deserves. Taking (extremely mild) criticism of Miyamoto personally merely shows how disproportionate you admiration and love for the man is.

What the hell is your problem? First off, I'm a fanGIRL (get the gender right, buddy!)

And secondly, I wrote VERY CLEARLY that there are plenty of other people, even at Nintendo, who have made some phenomenal games! Gunpei Yokoi, for example, creator of the Gameboy, creator of Metroid, and many others.

Speaking of which, Miyamoto worked on Kid Icarus ALONGSIDE Gunpei Yokoi, so you're mistaken there. I admit I was wrong on a few (I got Golden Sun and Animal Crossing totally wrong... though the creator of Animal Crossing went on record saying the NES Zelda game was his inspiration for the game), but I'm totally right on all the others. He's worked on Punch-Out!!, he's worked on Mario Golf, and he oversaw and approved the addition of battery back-up in the NES Zelda games.

Why do you insist Miyamoto hasn't been involved, to some degree, in some of the most influential games ever made?

In fact, here... Let's set the damn record straight. I looked up the list of games Shigeru Miyamoto has had a hand in, and I walked away MORE impressed than ever.

Are THOSE enough "facts" for you to state that he's one of the greatest game designers of all time, someone the rest of us in the industry aspire to be even half as influential or successful as? If not, by all means, don't let some logic get in the way of your opinion.

Or would you rather try and be "hip" and "cool" and throw out another auteur game creator with a few cult games like Suda51 or American McGee?

I mean, even Hideo Kojima and Will Wright "consider Miyamoto to be the greatest video game designer of all time."

Face the facts; nobody has a resume that good in gaming. Not Takashi Tezuka, not Gunpei Yokoi, not Genyo Takeda, not Kevin Levine, not John Romero, not Sid Meier, not Richard Garriott, Not Peter Molyneux, not Yoshio Sakamoto, not Hironobu Sakaguchi, not anybody else on God's good earth.

He's a creator of the highest caliber, who has put the passion of gaming before the bottom dollar. Despite his tenure and success, he refuses to accept a higher salary than the majority of his development team and he is noted for his humility in an industry dominated by greed and egos. Even if his games sucked (they don't) or his influence wasn't deep-felt (and it is), his attitude alone towards gaming, gamers, and the potential of this medium is inspirational and, in many ways, backwards from the Activisions and EAs of this world.

Either way, I apologize for two mistakes, but the overwhelming influence he's had on the industry, by the examples I've shown, the statements on his behalf, and the admitted inspiration developers state on their modern games, is simply irrefutable.

I might have gotten a lot more out of this had I watched either of these award shows. Or ever watched award shows. Or followed cinema. Or trends in popular gaming as opposed to classic and old school gaming.

And yes I was amused by the inclusion of Pinkie Pie for effect. And that's all I have to say about that.

Mailman:Why is Pinkie Pie creeping into everything I like? She's like the freaking Slender Man. At the rate, the next time I play Skyrim she's going to thow me a surprise party in Breezehome.

And if I had Skyrim and knew how to mod, I would probably send you an anonymous e-mail that does just that now that you've said it. Ah, well, such is life...

OT: ...I dunno about this one. I'm not going to disown you over one bad episode, but really, this one just left me feeling totally neutral. The topic wasn't the best one to begin with, and your jokes, honestly, weren't really that funny. ...Still, it's the end of the year; holiday special next week?